AITakeover Tracker

Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

SOC: 51-9196.00 · Job Zone 2 (Some preparation)

Set up, operate, or tend paper goods machines that perform a variety of functions, such as converting, sawing, corrugating, banding, wrapping, boxing, stitching, forming, or sealing paper or paperboard sheets into products.

Wage & Employment (2024)

Median Wage

$49,390

per year

Mean Wage

$51,750

per year

Employment

97K

workers

Wage Range

$36,610 - $68,640

10th - 90th pct

Wage Distribution

$36,610Median: $49,390$68,640

Task Breakdown

15 tasks analyzed

Examine completed work to detect defects and verify conformance to work orders, and adjust machinery as necessary to correct production problems.

Observe operation of various machines to detect and correct machine malfunctions such as improper forming, glue flow, or pasteboard tension.

Install attachments to machines for gluing, folding, printing, or cutting.

Cut products to specified dimensions, using hand or power cutters.

Place rolls of paper or cardboard on machine feed tracks, and thread paper through gluing, coating, and slitting rollers.

Monitor finished cartons as they drop from forming machines into rotating hoppers and into gravity feed chutes to prevent jamming.

Adjust guide assemblies, forming bars, and folding mechanisms according to specifications, using hand tools.

Start machines and move controls to regulate tension on pressure rolls, to synchronize speed of machine components, and to adjust temperatures of glue or paraffin.

Fill glue and paraffin reservoirs, and position rollers to dispense glue onto paperboard.

Measure, space, and set saw blades, cutters, and perforators, according to product specifications.

Disassemble machines to maintain, repair, or replace broken or worn parts, using hand or power tools.

Stamp products with information such as dates, using hand stamps or automatic stamping devices.

Remove finished cores, and stack or place them on conveyors for transfer to other work areas.

Lift tote boxes of finished cartons, and dump cartons into feed hoppers.

Load automatic stapling mechanisms.

Career Planning

Explore other career paths

Compare displacement risk across occupations and find careers with stronger long-term prospects.

Risk scoring has not been run for this occupation yet. Scores will appear after the scoring pipeline runs.